tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16573945358879280202024-03-13T22:33:05.036-04:00DaddyBear's DenEpisodes from the life of a middle-aged DadDaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.comBlogger2582125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-10142903980271404412012-05-04T13:43:00.000-04:002012-05-04T13:43:24.722-04:00I'm Outta HereIf anyone wants me, I'm taking my blog and moving.<br />
<br />
I'll be over at http://daddybearsden.wordpress.com/. Please come on over and enjoy my madness.<br />
<br />
The term you're looking for, if you're a Blogger user, is "final straw".DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-50712228824591317462012-05-04T07:00:00.000-04:002012-05-04T11:44:27.355-04:0030 Days of Shakespeare - Day 30<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To business that we love we rise betime,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And go to ’t with delight. -- Antony and Cleopatra, Act IV, Scene IV</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My Time - Like I said "Sometimes it's a blast, sometimes, it's a paycheck". When it's a blast, I can't wait to get back to it, even when it's the most difficult thing I've ever done. If you see me coming home covered in dirt, bleeding, and bruised, but with a smile on my face, you can be pretty sure I'll be up early the next morning to get back to it with that same smile on my face.</span>DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-433693720238070532012-05-04T06:47:00.003-04:002012-05-04T06:47:40.382-04:00SighHmmm, blogger appears to have boogered my fonts up really good now, and I seem to have been aiding it.<br />
<br />
I'll be trying to salvage it, so there may be a few blog blinks along the way.<br />
<br />
<br />DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-39820305282549713242012-05-04T05:27:00.000-04:002012-05-04T05:27:00.186-04:00Today's EarwormIn honor of the <a href="http://www.kentuckyderby.com/oaks">Kentucky Oaks</a>, where the fillies race for the lillies:<br />
<br />
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<br />DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-56708517789873941372012-05-03T21:22:00.002-04:002012-05-03T21:22:34.716-04:00test test test<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Where is, repeat, where is Task Force Thirty Four? The world wonders.</span></span>DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-58147373081458811472012-05-03T21:03:00.002-04:002012-05-03T21:03:32.663-04:00test testThe swift brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.<br />
<br />
<br />DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-80018577130500972162012-05-03T19:33:00.000-04:002012-05-03T19:33:35.065-04:00Thought for the DayGingrich has bowed out of the presidential race. All that is left in the Republican field are Romney and Paul. <br />
<br />
Our choice is now down to the RINO or the gyno.DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-59224490454136746912012-05-03T15:19:00.000-04:002012-05-03T15:19:33.044-04:00News Roundup<ul>
<li>From the "This one goes to 11" Department - A man in New York was <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/05/03/speeder-tells-cops-his-bike-can-go-10-mph/?test=latestnews">arrested</a> recently when police clocked him going over 150 miles an hour on the highway. He is reported to have bragged that his motorcycle could go up to 190, which I'm sure every police officer loves to hear. "You're busting me for this? Heck, I can go a lot faster!" Captain Turnpike didn't have a motorcycle license either, and is being held on bail.</li>
<li>From the "Not Helping" Department - The head of Russia's armed forces has <a href="http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2012/05/03/Russia-warns-of-pre-emptive-strike/UPI-97221336065463/">threatened</a> to conduct pre-emptive strikes against NATO anti-missile sites in Eastern Europe. His remarks were made during a conference on how to overcome friction over missile defense between Russia and NATO. This is a good chance for President Obama to show a little spine. If he were to come out in the next few days demanding that Russia clarify the general's remarks and either affirm or repudiate them, I'd give him credit. But I'm not holding my breath.</li>
<li>From the "Samurai Sword Savings" Department - A shoplifter in Washington <a href="http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2012/05/02/Shoplifter-pulls-sword-on-security-guard/UPI-13901335995635/">escaped</a> recently after he pulled a sword on a security guard. Captain Kirosawa left his ill-gotten goods behind when he ran away. This is one of the reasons I'm OK with security guards carrying a gun. In this case it would have been <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wakizashi">wakizashi</a> meets Walther, and I'm pretty sure Walther wins.</li>
<li>From the "Get An Intern" Department - A road in British Columbia was <a href="http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2012/05/03/Stinky-road-mess-when-septic-truck-flips/UPI-94661336054260/">closed</a> recently when a truck hauling sewage overturned and sprung a leak. And you thought you had a bad day. Somehow this puts having to sit on a conference call all afternoon into perspective. </li>
</ul>DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-69111376181050638022012-05-03T07:00:00.000-04:002012-05-03T07:00:10.554-04:0030 Days of Shakespeare - Day 29Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em. -- Twelfth Night, Act II, Scene V<br />
<br />
My Take - There are very few heroes in our world that are prepared to be heroes. Most people who have that title put on their name woke up the day they earned it and got on with life just like everyone else. It was when life threw something extraordinary at them and they reacted to it in a way that few others could or would that they became heroes. I always try to remember that my heroes are almost always ordinary people who had something in them that let them do extraordinary things.DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-48937852764093160712012-05-02T15:01:00.000-04:002012-05-03T21:11:21.980-04:00News Roundup<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">From the "Don't you feel safer?" Department - A young man in California is <a href="http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/05/02/Forgotten-student-details-DEA-ordeal/UPI-37511335965030/">suing</a> the government. He alleges that he was arrested by the Drug Enforcement Agency, locked in a small cell, and left there with no food or water for several days, and that's not the worst part of the story. If his assertions are true, I hope heads roll. But thank goodness the government got such a dangerous person off the streets for a few days. I mean, he could have gotten high and not bothered anyone that whole time. Can we find a way to end the War on Adults, please?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">From the "This Will Not End Well" Department - Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky is <a href="http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/05/01/Derby-calls-McConnell-to-miss-Cats-visit/UPI-74871335906360/">foregoing</a> the traditional meeting of the national championship Kentucky basketball team with President Obama this year. He is instead coming to Louisville to attend functions related to the Kentucky Derby. This may blow up in the good Senator's face. Lots of people in Kentucky enjoy the Derby, and people in Louisville lose their minds for a few weeks over it. But basketball is one of the three main religions here in the Bluegrass, and some of the more rabid blue-wearing acolytes might not appreciate Senator McConnell skipping out on the White House event. I guess he's not up for re-election this fall.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: small;">From the "That's A Relief" Department - Scientists have <a href="http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2012/04/30/Yellowstone-supervolcano-more-active-less-super/UPI-27881335818015/">announced</a></span> findings that suggest the volcano under Yellowstone Park isn't quite as bad as we have been led to believe. I welcome this news. It will give me an excuse to get rid of all those ash shovels, fireproof roof blankets, and extra sleds I've been keeping in the basement for use in the event that parts of Wyoming and Idaho start raining down from the sky. Of course, I'll be keeping the extra-fine breathing masks and goggles, because they make me look oh so sexy. Hey, I've got to have something to wear when I pick Girlie Bear up from school.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">From the "Playing Through" Department - An older gentleman in Florida has been <a href="http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2012/05/01/Police-Man-61-crashed-cart-into-golfers/UPI-53431335904742/">arrested</a> after crashing his golf cart into the group in front of him on the course and assaulting at least one of them with a club. His complaint seemed to be that the group was drinking, taking their time playing, and driving their carts in a manner he didn't care for. My friends who play golf tell me that those activities are called "having fun". Someone needs to tell this vigilante in the rough that assault isn't exactly the way a gentleman complains, and that there will not be a golf course waiting for him when he gets to the big house.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">From the "BOFH" Department - A boy in Pennsylvania is in <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/01/11-year-old-boy-destroys-36g-pennsylvania-school-computers-by-urinating-on-them/?test=latestnews">trouble</a>
after destroying $36,000 worth of Apple laptops by urinating on them.
Obviously, this young man has a future in IT. I've often used the term
"pissing into the cooling fan" to describe what someone has done to
their computer. </span></li>
</ul>DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-35663141432754674542012-05-02T10:11:00.000-04:002012-05-02T17:09:13.649-04:00Gunnie Dream<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I had a gun dream last night. It wasn't one of those dreams where you have to pull your gun to defend yourself and it won't come out of the holster or every round has a malfunction of some sort.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">This was actually a good dream.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">I was back in basic training, and it was day one of Basic Rifle Marksmanship. But instead of handing me an M16A1 that was older than I was, the armorer was handing out the M41A pulse rifles from <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0090605/">Aliens</a>. I was going over the weapon, the trigger, the sights, the grenade launcher, when I looked at the selector switch.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">It had three settings:</span></div>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<ol style="font-family: inherit;">
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Click</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Boom!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: small;">Awwww Yeaaahhhhhh!</span></li>
</ol>
<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Too bad I woke up before we got to the range. I was looking forward to that.</span></div>DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-67066269835133454802012-05-02T07:00:00.000-04:002012-05-02T07:00:08.510-04:0030 Days of Shakespeare - Day 28<div style="font-family: inherit;">
<style>
body, div, table, thead, tbody, tfoot, tr, th, td, p { font-family: "Liberation Sans"; font-size: x-small; }
</style><span style="font-size: small;">A good wit will make use of anything; - Henry IV, Part 2, Act I, Scene II</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">My Take - When you're working on a problem, take whatever tool and skill you have to find a solution. Use any toehold, crack, or soft spot in the puzzle to find a way to crack it open. The solution is usually there, waiting for you to find a method to coax it out.</span></div>DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-54572375830562720272012-05-02T00:21:00.000-04:002012-05-02T00:21:00.594-04:00Thoughts on the Day<br />
<ul>
<li>I don't often cuss at work, but I at least had the wherewithal to do it in Russian when I did it today.</li>
<li>When a southern woman cocks her head to the side at you and lifts the index finger on her dominant hand to emphasize her syllables, you have exactly seven and one half seconds to get out of the blast radius, assuming a standard nuclear trigger.</li>
<li>Hope is not a plan, and "someday" is not something I can put in a project plan.</li>
<li>Note to vendors: Kissing my ass is not necessary. All I require is for you to do what you contracted to do and not lie to me. Is that so much to ask?</li>
<li>Mothers of America: If your mother wouldn't have let you go to a chorus concert in that skirt, you shouldn't be letting your daughter to to a chorus concert in that skirt. "If you've got it, flaunt it" has no place in middle school.</li>
<li>Karaoke and lip syncing to Beyonce, Michael Jackson, and ABBA weren't part of any school musical program I remember as a child. Apparently that has changed in the intervening years.</li>
<li>It's a good thing I'm a forgiving soul, because all of the people who got up to leave the audience while Girlie Bear was being recognized for being in the chorus program for all three years of middle school will survive to see the dawn.</li>
<li>Listening to about 50 middle school girls sing in Latin is quite nice, actually, even if they learned the song by rote.</li>
<li>I always have worries about Girlie Bear growing up, but having seen the boys who are in her peer group tonight, I may not have as much to worry about as I thought.</li>
</ul>DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-55368632062103871562012-05-01T17:30:00.000-04:002012-05-01T17:30:07.094-04:00Thought for the DayTonight on the way home from work, everyone in Louisville knew I had somewhere to be and slowed down accordingly.DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-55686686934582670472012-05-01T11:08:00.002-04:002012-05-01T11:08:24.827-04:00ClassyLet's say there are two grocery stores in your neighborhood. To be honest, there isn't much difference between them, except for the signs over the door and one has a few more organic vegetables than the other. One of them is the dominant store in your town, and you've been buying your groceries from them for a few years. To be honest, you aren't happy with the quality of their wares or the service you get.<br />
<br />
So when the other store gives itself a makeover and has a bit of publicity, you decide to go over there one morning. You buy a few things, and while things are pretty much the same as at the other store, your experience is marginally better, so you start doing regular business with them. You notice that there are a lot of people who start shopping at the second shop at about the same time you do.<br />
<br />
A few weeks later, you get an email from a friend. It's basically asking "Have you seen this?". The first store, the one you left because of service, price, and quality, has put up a big billboard in front of their store. On the billboard is your name, your picture, the times you went to the other store, and the amount you spent. It also details the things you bought, and even goes so far as to make aspersions about your character based on any run-ins you'd had with store management over the years. They have a little section for each person who has stopped doing business with them in favor of the new store.<br />
<br />
For a grocery store, this is pretty crass and classless. For a President of the United States, it's shameful.<br />
<br />
President Obama and his re-election campaign are doing <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304723304577368280604524916.html?fb_ref=wsj_share_FB&fb_source=home_multiline">something</a> very similar when it comes to people who are donating money to the Romney campaign. The campaign's website is singling out individual donors to Mr. Romney and impugning their motivations and character for committing the sin of supporting Obama's opponent. <br />
<br />
These are not the actions of a man and an administration that recognize the rights of citizens to support whatever political candidate or cause they want. This is voter intimidation just as certainly as if he had posted thugs at the polls with cudgels. <br />
<br />
I don't think it's a surprise to anyone reading this that I don't care for Mr. Obama, his politics, his values, or his work ethic. I don't have a much better opinion of Mr. Romney. I've been very torn as to whether to vote for Romney this year. I don't like his record as governor of Massachusetts. Nothing he has said during the primaries has convinced me that he has changed enough since then to make me want to support him.<br />
<br />
But I will be damned if I will be intimidated by some Chicago machine thug from questioning and opposing President Obama, no matter who I vote for in November. Things like this make me want to vote for Romney if for no other reason than to spit in the eye of the President's campaign. <br />
<br />
Want to see me cut my nose to spite my face, President Obama? Keep pulling stuff like this.DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-50195959444178277752012-05-01T07:00:00.000-04:002012-05-01T07:00:12.668-04:0030 Days of Shakespeare - Day 27This above all — to thine own self be true;<br />
And it must follow, as the night the day,<br />
Thou canst not then be false to any man. Hamlet, Act I, scene III<br />
<br />
My Take - If you can't keep promises to yourself, how well will you honor promises to others? If you're not honest with yourself, can you be honest with the people in your life? <br />
<br />
Conversely, if you are dishonest with others, can you be honest with yourself?<br />
<br />DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-78190773546786560112012-05-01T05:44:00.000-04:002012-05-01T05:44:00.416-04:00Today's EarwormIt's going to be one of those days.<br />
<br />
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<br />DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-46365877197188090532012-04-30T19:23:00.000-04:002012-04-30T19:23:00.102-04:00News Roundup<ul>
<li>From the "Hubris" Department - A rich man from Australia is <a href="http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-clive-palmer-titanic-20120430,0,1547662.story?track=rss">contracting</a> with a shipyard to re-create the Titanic. He plans to follow the plans for the original ship but utilize more modern technology. Here's hoping he tweaks the hull plating and lifeboats. Anyone want to bet the Titanic II only sails in the tropics?</li>
<li>From the "WTF?" Department - Two Pennsylvania teenage girls are in the hospital after they were <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/2-teen-girls-who-fell-asleep-while-sunbathing-on-pa-road-are-struck-by-car-flown-to-hospital/2012/04/29/gIQAz7ZZqT_story.html?tid=pm_pop">struck by a car.</a> What makes this noteworthy is that the girls maintain that they fell asleep while sunbathing on the road before they got run over. Not sure how much of that I believe, but stranger things have happened. Here's hoping they recover fully and learn to sunbathe somewhere with a little less traffic. People of Pennsylvania, please resist those who will have a knee jerk reaction to pass a new law making sunbathing on a public thoroughfare a crime.</li>
<li>From the "Government Solutions In Action" Department - <a href="http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/04/29/Endangered-animals-caught-in-fed-snares/UPI-98671335720517/">Efforts</a> by the federal government to kill unwanted species have killed more than 50,000 non-targeted animals, including animals on the endangered species list. There are also allegations of cover-ups to keep the public from knowing the extent of the problem. Think about that: If we as private citizens try to root out a pest, say feral hogs or coyotes, and instead we kill a rare animal or someones dog, we're going to jail. I wonder how many members of the government will even get a stern look over this?</li>
<li>From the "I need Oreos stat!" Department - A truck driver in Texas is <a href="http://www.upi.com/Odd_News/2012/04/28/Truck-spills-milk-onto-Texas-interchange/UPI-37521335664780/">recovering</a> from injuries sustained in an accident with his milk truck. Several thousand gallons of milk were spilled on the roadway, causing a need for a detour so that motorists did not skid out of control or hit one of what must have been hundreds of cats who showed up for free milk. I wonder if the driver will be charged with a mooooving violation?</li>
</ul>DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-66303061315232370592012-04-30T17:08:00.000-04:002012-04-30T17:08:00.170-04:00MusingsCNN is running a <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/29/us/stand-your-ground/index.html">piece</a> on "Stand Your Ground" laws, and gives four cases where they have been exercised to protect people from prosecution or to acquit them:<br />
<ul>
<li>A mentally handicapped young man was shot and killed at a restaurant drive-thru after a close call between him and a car became violent. The shooter maintains that he thought the man had a weapon and meant to do him harm. He has not been charged with a crime. </li>
<li>A man shot and killed someone who rushed into his trailer after asking for a drink of water. The shooter maintains that the man was threatening his wife when it happened. The man who was shot had contact with the police earlier in the evening, and they believed he was intoxicated. An autopsy showed that the man had a skull fracture, which might explain his behavior.</li>
<li>A man shot and killed a teenager after a group of young men broke into his home looking for snack food. The man maintains that after he had subdued the group of teenagers, one of them lunged at him and he shot him. He was prosecuted, but acquitted by a jury.</li>
<li>A man learned that someone was robbing his car, grabbed a knife, and gave chase. When he confronted the robber, the robber swung a bag full of car radios at him, and the man stabbed the robber in the chest, killing him. He was charged with a crime, but a judge dismissed the charges. That dismissal is under appeal.</li>
</ul>
CNN goes on to express editorial opinions, drawing on the opinions of a law professor at Loyola, several prosecutors, and police officers to assert that the laws being examined are bad.<br />
<br />
Here is my opinion, and please keep in mind that I am far from being a lawyer:<br />
<br />
Where I have a right to be, I have a right to defend myself. To go with that right, I have a responsibility to stand before the law if my judgement is wrong.<br />
<br />
Sounds simple, doesn't it? If only it was.<br />
<br />
In two of the cases above, the cases of the man defending his wife and the man who stabbed the thief, the situations are very clear cut to me. When confronted with someone acting aggressively and not giving you time to think, you react. A man who rushes a woman in her home or turns around and swings a heavy object at its owner is presenting a clear threat, and in both cases, I have no doubt that the people who defended their lives did so with good reason. In the case of the man with the skull fracture, the homeowners had no way to know that he was hurt. All they could know was that he appeared to be trying to harm them.<br />
<br />
The other two, on the other hand, are much more murky. The case in Texas basically comes down to who you believe, the man with the shotgun or the youths who broke into his home? Did he execute a boy or even just have a negligent discharge while pointing his shotgun at a home intruder who had surrendered? Or did he shoot a teenager who initiated an attack against him after initially surrendering?<br />
<br />
The Arizona case is also difficult for me, because I've been on both sides of it. I've almost run over people because one or both of us weren't watching where we were going, and I've almost been run over. It doesn't help that the shooter maintains that the man he shot had a pipe or some other weapon, and none was ever found. Did he take the time to load his pistol and then shoot the man out of malice or fear?<br />
<br />
The calls to use a deadly weapon to cause non-deadly injuries are of course specious. I carry a gun to stop a threat in the most effective way I know. I am under no illusions about my skills, reflexes, and capabilities to do much more than center mass shots when I am under stress. Center mass shots on humans tend to be fatal. After the fact questions about why a person was killed instead of wounded are unrealistic. <br />
<br />
Would CNN and the academics, police, and prosecutors who are complaining
about these laws prefer that we second guess ourselves when confronted
with danger? Is it preferable that a woman be harmed in her own home
while her husband try to figure out why she is being attacked? Is it
preferable for a man to be bludgeoned with a bag of electronics while he
tries to decide if he is really in danger? Should a man with his
pregnant fiance in the car wait until they are actually being harmed
before he reacts? <br />
<br />
I guess where I'm getting at is that "Stand Your Ground" laws have a place in our society, but we have to remember that our rights come with responsibilities. We have a responsibility to use deadly force only when absolutely necessary, and we can aid ourselves in that by not letting ourselves be rushed into the decision to use it. Stay aware of what's going on around you and you won't fall into non-thinking reflexes. But we also have the right to defend ourselves when we feel threatened, no matter where we may find ourselves. <br />
<br />
To me, there is only one answer: I am going home to my family every night, and we are going to be safe in our home. What that costs me and someone who threatens me is much less important to me than that simple goal.DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-68992584499035116582012-04-30T07:00:00.000-04:002012-04-30T07:00:15.555-04:0030 Days of Shakespeare - Day 26Cry Havoc! and let slip the dogs of war. -- Julius Caesar, Act III, Scene I<br />
<br />
My Take - You know, sometimes it's just more appropriate to just quit the pretense of civility and let them have it with both barrels.DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-59082274329140923852012-04-30T04:37:00.000-04:002012-04-30T04:37:00.067-04:00Thought for the Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l9qb6kUgd7w/T53cldJb4VI/AAAAAAAABh4/KYT803uiuv4/s1600/photo+(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="242" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l9qb6kUgd7w/T53cldJb4VI/AAAAAAAABh4/KYT803uiuv4/s320/photo+(5).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Ladies and gentlemen, what you see here is all a homeowner needs to keep things up and running:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>WD-40</li>
<li>Velcro</li>
<li>Expanding foam spray</li>
<li>550 cord</li>
<li>Duct tape</li>
<li>Multitool</li>
</ul>
<div>
Only other things I need is a six pack of something cold, a radio with a baseball or football game, and solitude, and I can fix just about anything around here. Might not be pretty, but it'll be 'fixed'.</div>DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-16642305934694180672012-04-30T02:12:00.000-04:002012-04-30T07:01:23.243-04:00Rough Few Days in KentuckyNot for me, although Irish Woman has been working me like a rented mule. There has been a lot of shootings in the local news, and I thought I'd give y'all my dva kopeka.<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>A Louisville man is in <a href="http://www.wave3.com/story/17925895/two-shot-to-death-along-exit-ramp-passenger-charged"><strike>custody</strike></a> <a href="http://www.wave3.com/story/17926788/police-investigating-officer-involved-shooting">custody</a> after shooting two other people in a car they were all travelling in. Since the only picture the news has of one of the victims is a mug shot, for the moment, I'll notch this one up to possible criminal-on-criminal violence. Only other possibility I can see is self-defense if the shooter was grabbed and stuffed in the car for some reason. I use that off-ramp to go to Knob Creek.</li>
<li>A Louisville police officer <a href="http://www.wave3.com/story/17926788/police-investigating-officer-involved-shooting">shot someone</a> this weekend. Not a lot of details on this yet, but the person who got shot survived and was arrested. Irish Woman drives by the Cannon's Lane exit on I-64 every morning.</li>
<li>A woman was <a href="http://www.wave3.com/story/17926871/woman-grazed-by-bullet-in-gunfire-exchange">hit by gunfire</a> after two men started shooting at each other in the parking lot of a business. The two shooters ran away and are being sought by police. I chalk this one up to being in a bad neighborhood and not having a chance to duck. There are no details on this, but it sounds like she was just struck by a stray bullet when two assholes started blazing away at each other. I take this tone when describing the two guys with guns because if it's a legitimate shoot, one of them (the one defending his life) would more than likely have stuck around. My gut tells me this was more criminal-on-criminal foolishness, and the lady just happened to be there. No word on whether the men actually hit each other. One of my hardware stores is across the street from there.</li>
<li>A man in Guston, Kentucky, is dead after the son-in-law of his girlfriend shot him with a shotgun. The man had decided that he wasn't going to let his girlfriend walk way from him after a domestic dispute, so he crashed his car into a mobile home and forced his way inside, where he met Mr. Buckshot. Not going to celebrate this one, but I'm not exactly going to weep over it either.</li>
<li>A 13 month old child is <a href="http://www.wave3.com/story/17926730/13-month-old-shot-to-death-by-sibling">dead</a> in Radcliff, Kentucky, after being shot in the head by a 3 year old sibling. This one has me seeing red through a tunnel. I know people who vehemently argue with me that it's quite all right to leave a loaded gun in drawers, on shelves, even under furniture when there are small children around and unsupervised. Their reasoning seems to boil down to "I told them to leave it alone, and they know better than to do something I told them not to". I need to print off the details of this one and just hand it out. </li>
</ul>
<div>
So what do we have here? One probable criminal-on-criminal shooting, an officer involved shooting, a self-defense shooting, a lady who was in the line of fire unexpectedly, and a child dead because of stupidity. In several of those cases, they happened at places that I or Irish Woman frequently pass through. One hits close to home because I have kids, I have guns, and I try to be responsible with both of them. The self-defense reminds me that I can have the safest, most stable home in the world, but I'm only a couple of levels of separation away from other people who might come to us for help and have someone who views other people as objects follow them.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
All of these situations happened unexpectedly. I'm sure that the young soldier from Fort Knox didn't think he would be shooting someone this weekend, and I'm absolutely certain that the parents of that child didn't put the gun out in hopes that the three year old would find it. The person who called 911 about the dead people in the car most likely was just trying to get through their day, same as I do when I drive by that intersection. The woman who got shot just minding her business in the parking lot of a store didn't expect to be rushed to the emergency room this afternoon.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Life throws things at us, and while we can't be on high alert all the time, there are some things we should keep in mind:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>No matter how high you put it, no matter how well you hide it, they will climb and they will uncover it. A child will figure out how to work the trigger on a double action pistol. A child will figure out how to work the slide on a shotgun. A child will figure out how to work the selector switch on a rifle. They are curious, they are geniuses when it comes to mechanical items, and a child that young <b>CANNOT BE TAUGHT TO NOT TOUCH SOMETHING EVERY TIME, ALL THE TIME</b>. I very much support and practice the keeping of firearms for self-defense, but leaving a loaded gun out where a young child can get to it unsupervised is irresponsible and stupid. Get an easy-for-an-adult gun safe and keep your children out of the ER, morgue, and Michael Bloomberg's radar. </li>
<li>Be aware of your surroundings as much as you can. Like I mentioned, we go to several of the areas where these shootings happened. Louisville is a relatively peaceful city for its size, and we still had all of these shootings in different areas this weekend. Keep your head, and watch what's going on around you. Remember, there is no such place as a place where bad things don't happen. Assholes have cars now, and some of them come from 'nice' neighborhoods.</li>
<li>Know when to take yourself up a notch. If a family member is coming to your home for shelter from an abusive relationship, take the time to arm yourself and be watchful <i>before</i> they show up to continue whatever it was that caused their partner to run. And no matter where you are going, if it is legal to do so, carry your gun and know how and when to use it.</li>
</ul>
<div>
I'll end by saying that this set of shootings is an anomaly in this area. Like I said, Louisville isn't that bad crime and violence wise, especially when compared to other cities in the South and Mid-West. It just goes to show that bad things can happen anywhere. We owe it to ourselves and our families to use our heads and be prepared for the curve balls that are always being thrown.<br />
<br />
Update - Edited to update the link on the officer involved shooting. Looks like the guy not only got shot, but also got introduced to a land shark. Oh, and BTW, not only was he shot along the route that Irish Woman usually takes to work, he robbed one of the gas stations I use. Either I go a lot of places in Louisville and happen to go a lot of places where these people got shot, or I'm a jinx.</div>
</div>DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-962503381500620232012-04-29T17:59:00.001-04:002012-04-29T17:59:54.889-04:00Thoughts on the Weekend<br />
<ul>
<li>Whoever came up with the idea of giving away samples of food at the grocery store on a Saturday morning ought to be drug out into the street, beaten with a frozen carp, and then left to die while tied tightly to a storm drain cover.</li>
<li>I never thought I'd be glad to see $3.65 a gallon for gas.</li>
<li>Apparently me wearing a gun to the grocery store and other errands is becoming normal to Irish Woman. She asked if I was going to carry the revolver, the CZ, or the big gun (1911) yesterday.</li>
<li>My grandfathers are spinning in their graves. I went out and paid good money for dirt this weekend. Granted, it was compost, topsoil, peat moss, and potting soil for the garden, but it was <i>dirt</i>.</li>
<li>Pro-tip - Do not wear contact lenses while mixing up compost, topsoil, peat moss, and potting soil in a big garden bed, or you will have the sudden and immediate urge to scratch the back of your eyeballs out.</li>
<li>Lightning, thunder, and flickering lights might just be nature's way of telling you it's time to shut off the computer and go to bed.</li>
<li>Hint to history professors who do podcasts: Do not try to do a podcast while eating your dinner. Seriously, dude, I could hear you chewing as you looked at your notes and the clinking of silverware on crockery was a dead giveaway.</li>
<li>Bad thing #1 - The tub was draining very slowly and I couldn't find my drain snake after drain cleaner and a plunger didn't work.</li>
<li>Bad thing #2 - After acquiring a new snake to clean out said drain, I fished it down the drain about two feet and proceeded to get it well and truly stuck.</li>
<li>Bad thing #3 - While trying to remove said drain snake from said drain, the snake broke. So I had a clogged drain and a sharp pointy piece of metal sticking out of it.</li>
<li>Bad thing #4 - Growling at Irish Woman as I came back up from the basement with a set of vise grips to get hold of that sharp piece of metal and by God drag it out of the drain. I think I said something along the lines of "My hair isn't long enough to clog a !#!@ drain."</li>
<li>Good thing #1 - After dragging that piece of sharp metal out of the bathtub drain, I realized that there was an access port for that drain in the basement. I got it off with no issues, drained off the resultant water into a bucket while only getting about 1/3 of it on me and my clothes, and found the clog. It was quite intricate and gnarly. I think I will call it Herman if it survives its first night out in the trash and gains sentience. It may have a future in Kentucky politics.</li>
<li>Good thing #2 - I got the plumbing back together without causing Irish Woman to call a plumber, a first in our relationship.</li>
<li>Possibly bad thing # 5 - I informed Irish Woman and Girlie Bear that I expected both of them to report to me by 0800 tomorrow morning with regulation <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_and_tight">high and tights</a> and that they were henceforth forbidden to use anything but baby shampoo to clean what was left of their hair. I based this directive on the fact that I don't have hair as long as what I found in the drain, and that it was all held together with what can be best described as the remnants of too much feminine hair care product.</li>
<li>Possibly good thing #3 - Irish Woman didn't knife me in the kidney when I didn't laugh with her after directing her to stop using conditioner and to get a Marine haircut.</li>
<li>Is it ominous to you other married men when your wife comes to you and asks how many board feet of 2x4 you have in your work area?</li>
</ul>DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-78643436991211417312012-04-29T17:38:00.000-04:002012-04-29T17:38:40.800-04:00Garden UpdateAfter a month and a half of weekends, the new raised garden beds / retaining wall is complete. We've even got some things planted. More will go in if we can ever get a good stretch of warm weather.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Probably going to be watermelon or cucumbers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JlTBJH-jSq0/T52weYBkofI/AAAAAAAABf8/VHZyDtjr63g/s1600/DSCN1332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="170" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JlTBJH-jSq0/T52weYBkofI/AAAAAAAABf8/VHZyDtjr63g/s320/DSCN1332.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">250 Strawberry plants. <br />Irish Woman and Boo harvested a few berries from the plants that were<br />transplanted from the old bed</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1hCsiStVfsU/T52wgVq3_FI/AAAAAAAABgE/gUfNWUxfai8/s1600/DSCN1333.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="219" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1hCsiStVfsU/T52wgVq3_FI/AAAAAAAABgE/gUfNWUxfai8/s320/DSCN1333.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carrots are sprouting</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ONEnxS7QTxc/T52wlM3wzqI/AAAAAAAABgM/X2Ny25X3Jls/s1600/DSCN1334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ONEnxS7QTxc/T52wlM3wzqI/AAAAAAAABgM/X2Ny25X3Jls/s320/DSCN1334.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tomatoes will probably go here</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jCIClgxh9ao/T52wqyR78kI/AAAAAAAABgU/lWtoY1SL3EY/s1600/DSCN1335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="166" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jCIClgxh9ao/T52wqyR78kI/AAAAAAAABgU/lWtoY1SL3EY/s320/DSCN1335.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Onions are coming along well. <br />The other side of the bed will be either cucumbers or watermelon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our fruit trees are doing OK. Some are doing better than others. We had hopes for another great harvest of cherries, but we had a false spring and even with draping canvas and such around the trees at night, we didn't have very many cherries out of a whole lot of blooms.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2lAgt8tqaw/T52wvIhpr0I/AAAAAAAABgc/H7l_dkI72pI/s1600/DSCN1337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="253" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2lAgt8tqaw/T52wvIhpr0I/AAAAAAAABgc/H7l_dkI72pI/s320/DSCN1337.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a good year for peaches</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nc6rKhqPwtY/T52wxN4JxHI/AAAAAAAABgk/DbYjUP3SegE/s1600/DSCN1338.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nc6rKhqPwtY/T52wxN4JxHI/AAAAAAAABgk/DbYjUP3SegE/s320/DSCN1338.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and grapes</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not such a good year for cherries</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our big cherry tree<br />It was covered in blooms, but has very few cherries on it</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
We also cleaned up a couple of the beds in the front of the house. It's amazing what a shovel, a rake, a few yards of weed barrier, and some mulch can do.</div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9uIqbiOxFS8/T52wLoN6kfI/AAAAAAAABfc/r8o3MyHhX5g/s1600/DSCN1328.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9uIqbiOxFS8/T52wLoN6kfI/AAAAAAAABfc/r8o3MyHhX5g/s320/DSCN1328.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I saved some volunteer flowers and sunflower plants when I put down barrier and mulch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ypq22IQ2ER4/T52wR_nd0QI/AAAAAAAABfk/XDTQLIh6hQA/s1600/DSCN1329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="291" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ypq22IQ2ER4/T52wR_nd0QI/AAAAAAAABfk/XDTQLIh6hQA/s320/DSCN1329.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">24 hours ago, this was overgrown with weeds </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two new peach trees<br />It's also a great year for tiger lillies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We are definitely going to have to thin and split the tiger lillies next spring. They are taking over. They grow wild here, so any place you give them a little cultivation and attention they run rampant.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tiger lilly thicket<br />In a couple of months, you won't be able to see the house through all the orange</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lRR3mJ_4n7I/T52xA0_29TI/AAAAAAAABhE/ycsbrcvonQw/s1600/DSCN1342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lRR3mJ_4n7I/T52xA0_29TI/AAAAAAAABhE/ycsbrcvonQw/s320/DSCN1342.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The false spring that hurt our cherry crop also burned some of the shrubs</td></tr>
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We have a few critters in the yard.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bb8FVU3fNpI/T52xFXfJ58I/AAAAAAAABhM/NJneEY94h_8/s1600/DSCN1343.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Bb8FVU3fNpI/T52xFXfJ58I/AAAAAAAABhM/NJneEY94h_8/s320/DSCN1343.JPG" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Old Mr. Frog is slowly becoming one with the earth<br />We've had him as long as we've had the house</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A giraffe finds his way out of the jungle</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ffO--jcJnDE/T52xLKm6LpI/AAAAAAAABhc/jDZio5PU4GE/s1600/DSCN1345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ffO--jcJnDE/T52xLKm6LpI/AAAAAAAABhc/jDZio5PU4GE/s320/DSCN1345.JPG" width="205" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Giraffe was done by <a href="http://www.yardbirds.info/index.php/view/Content-Main/p/index.html">YardBirds</a><br />We have a few of their sculptures scattered around the yard.<br />Once I get the tiger lillies under control, maybe I'll find them.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9jGSJ_cjz8A/T52xPazJ9HI/AAAAAAAABhk/PggjMy7Rtkw/s1600/DSCN1346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9jGSJ_cjz8A/T52xPazJ9HI/AAAAAAAABhk/PggjMy7Rtkw/s320/DSCN1346.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not all of our landscaping is edible.<br />Some of it is just pretty</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Oq2TuW45K3Y/T52xTIyNSkI/AAAAAAAABhs/PV46s4tqTqo/s1600/DSCN1347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Oq2TuW45K3Y/T52xTIyNSkI/AAAAAAAABhs/PV46s4tqTqo/s320/DSCN1347.JPG" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We started out with one yucca, which Irish Woman unsuccessfully tried to kill<br />We now have 12<br />I keep them around because they remind me of Arizona</td></tr>
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<br />DaddyBearhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07508543148426098384noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1657394535887928020.post-54763967526101446712012-04-29T11:07:00.003-04:002012-04-29T11:07:28.590-04:00Today's EarwormThis one's dedicated to <a href="http://themellowjihadi.com/">NavyOne</a>, who has the most interesting<a href="http://themellowjihadi.com/2012/04/29/saturday-night-frog/"> picture of a frog</a> I've seen in a long time.<br />
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